The Art of Saving Space

A place to acknowledge and celebrate the art of reserving a parking space with the use of mixed media sculptures.

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"Ingenious", Unknown, 2015 Gifted to AOSS 2016 This work borrows heavily from the common modern art practice of repurposing objects with the goal of sending messages that are often flush with social commentary. The message of "Ingenious" deals heavily with motherhood, life, and proclamations using baby skat. The mother, speaking through, or perhaps with her child, dares the viewer to encroach upon the spot she and her husband took turns digging out while the other stayed indoors, vigorously working to keep the baby from chewing wires.

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"Decay Dance", 2015, Unknown Rusted bar chair

In line with the Erosion Era, “Decay Dance” pays homage to the realistically oriented nature of many space saver artists. No longer interested in showy displays of artistry or wealth, this piece fully embraces the reality of late winter space saving as an unglamorous and in some ways, embarrassing act.

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"We Are All Here", 2015, Unknown Plastic folding chairs With astonishing originality, "We Are All Here" tells a story of unity. The identical chairs placed in close proximity to represent a communal commitment to passive aggression. The single chair in the forefront is a physical embodiment of one's delusion that individuality exists in a sea of conformity.

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"Mee Maw's Wicker Chair", 2015, Unknown

Speaking from the mind of someone struggling with the thought of what he's done during his winter of discontent, "Mee Maw's Wicker Chair" forces all of us to confront our inner demons. With the use of a charming wicker chair much like the one we would find at our Mee Maw's cottage, it challenges us to consider our behaviors during a brutal winter.

We are called to imagine our Gran Grans sitting in that chair asking us why we did the things we've done: resorting to drinking at 11am because back-to-back snow days have crippled our sense of time. And the things we've said: "I will murder you and your entire family if you move my plastic chair".

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"Middle Stool", 2015, Unknown Deploying the most simple yet elegant statement regarding human dignity in the face of overwhelming adversity, "Middle Stool" (a play on middle school) captures the essence of a human trapped in era steeped in tumult. The stool is standing tall on a carpet of dirtied snow, probably laced in dog urine--reminiscent of a twenty-something student teacher swimming in a sea of hormonal preteens. And the structure of this piece is a masterwork in the noble art of saving space.

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"Disjointment 1", 2015, Unknown Wood ladder, newspaper, and...a thing... Another example of the Ladder Movement, Disjointment 1 invites the viewer to acknowledge the fact that choice exists, in life and in art. One could choose the ladder, which invites a feeling of ascendance, optimism, and promise. Whereas, the other...object, with its downward movement, summons a sense of falling, failure, and ultimately confusion. Two opposing emotions, both equal in possibility.

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"Disjointment 2", 2015, Unknown Wood ladder, newspaper, and...a thing... With the ladder collapsed and leaning on the wooden object, the message is loud and clear, "Hope is meaningless in this frozen abyss and the only certainty in life is chaos."

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"Containment", 2015, Unknown Plastic storage containers Containment causes the observer to ponder all the elements of the piece. For one, we ask, "What was discarded to make the containers useful?" We also wonder about what lies underneath. With its bleak surroundings, Containment alludes to a probable cold emptiness waiting underneath; a representation of what the artist felt after removing snow from their car for the third time in two weeks.

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"Blocked", 2015, Unknown Step ladder and cinder block

Adhering with the Ladder Movement, which typically focuses on expressing desire and aspirations, Blocked turns this motif we’ve grown accustomed to on its head, criticizing the sentimentality and naiveté of our greater consciousness. Blocked, without hope or joy, reminds us that we can’t escape the cold because our lease doesn’t end until September; and we shouldn’t even entertain the idea of going on vacation because perhaps we almost overdrew our bank account buying a pre-made sandwich at Whole Foods.

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"Work", 2015 Unknown Sawhorse Diverging from the typical chair space saver, Work, captures the spirit of the worker. It honors the act of digging ones 2004 Honda Civic out of 500 pounds of snow. Such work often leaves the laborer wondering how much she actually likes the car and often pauses digging to day dream about simply leaving it be, incased in the mountain of snow, and left to ice over and become the automotive equivalent of that amber-sealed mosquito atop Richard Attenborough's cane in Jurassic Park.

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"Not Trash", 2015, Anonymous Plastic lawn chair, painters tape, paper On the surface, it seems as if "Not Trash" is making a statement on behalf of space savers everywhere, what with its simple tape and modest sign. Not true, in actuality the artist is making a rebuttal to a man he got into a fight with over the presence of the space saver. In his opponent’s opinion, the saver had been there for too long, things got heated and the advisory called the artist “a mouth-breathing, piece of trash”. Sensitive about his mouth-breathing on account of his deviated septum, the artist remained silent. Until now.

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"The Conversation", 2015, Unknown Polyester Folding chairs with mesh cup holders A simple but striking piece to celebrate the inevitable conversation all New England couples will have this winter; the "Why the fuck are we here?" conversation. These talks often lead to couples looking at pictures of places with nicer weather, like The North Pole or Siberia.

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"Ladder to the Sky", 2015 Unknown Metal ladder The artist chose to use a ladder to symbolize their burning desire to escape this god forsaken city.

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"Trashy", 2015, Unknown Plastic chair, recycling bin, bag of trash This piece is a statement on the artist's interest in duality and their concern with the environment. In an ironic twist, the full trash bag covers an empty recycling bin, alluding to a critique of American excess and lack of concern for the environment. It's all at once art as well as a political statement.

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"The Guest", 2015, Unknown Wood dining chair This chair is waiting for someone. Outward facing, essentially asking someone to utilize the upholstered seat. The artist chose to make a bold statement by using a chair that isn't utter crap. The niceness of the chair causes the viewer to ponder, "Wait, that's a nice chair. Don't they want it? Is this their crappy basement chair and they have way nicer chairs that they use because they're rich? Wait, do rich people live on this street? Why?"

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"The Dodge", 2015, Metal folding chair Though the artist chose a common space saver material, the choice to position the chair facedown is a key indicator of the artist’s experience, style, and frustration. Completely abandoning the notion that one should position a chair in a way that invites the viewer to sit, this artist inverts that possibility as if to say,”You are not invited” or “No you may not”, or perhaps “I hate you, go away”.